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February 4, 2015
Mardi Gras GUIDE
February 4, 2015
Revelers will catch a glimpse of an addition to the Krewe of Hercules’ armada of floats on Friday, Feb. 6.
The will unveil a second gigantic ‘Hercules’ that is so big that the float carrying him had to be “cut down” for him to fit.
When Krewe founder S.R LaRussa was touring the Mardi Gras World den, he saw a gigantic Hercules sitting in a corner. He asked Blaine Kern, known as ‘Mr. Mardi Gras,’ what he was doing with the sculpture.
Kern told LaRussa that Hercules was too big to do anything with.
LaRussa told Kern, “It’s time for that float to come home to me.”
The float carrying the 30-or-so foot tall muscle man had to be modified so that he did not tower to dangerous heights, said LaRussa.
This will mark the first time that there are two Hercules sculptures in the Krewe’s parade. Mark Pitre, president of the Krewe of Hercules Carnival Club will ride on one, and Mike LaRussa, captain of the royal court, will ride on the other, LaRussa said.
The original ‘Hercules’ sculpture was created especially for the Krewe by Kern. LaRussa had told Kern that he wanted Hercules to hold an alligator in one hand and a crawfish in the other.
Kern told him that the mythical Hercules wouldn’t even know what those things are, and LaRussa said, “But those people in south Louisiana do!”
Of course, the crowd-favorite grand marshal float, the famed “alligator” float will roll as well, with Troy Landry of The History Channel’s “Swamp People” as the grand marshal.
The alligator, a sculpture by Kern, is a one of a kind. It is one of three massive sculptures that hovered over the entrances to the 1984 World’s Fair in New Orleans. Kern gave the sculpture to LaRussa not long after the Fair and it hovered over clubbers entering LaRussa’s club ‘Fantasies’ in Houma, said LaRussa.
When the nightclub closed, LaRussa placed the gator on a float a little over 20 years ago, and it’s been a signature float ever since, he said.
LaRussa compares the Krewe of Hercules’ parade to Bacchus and Endymion in New Orleans.
Every year a month after Mardi Gras, LaRussa and the Krewe’s board of directors travel to New Orleans to examine both of those parades’ themes and colors.
He borrows the motifs from those parades for the following year’s Krewe of Hercules parade – in the continued effort to build up the local parade.
“I have that choice,” LaRussa said. He attributes this to his good relationship with Kern.
IF YOU GO …
HERCULES PARADE
WHEN: Friday, Feb. 6
WHERE: Mouma
COST: FREE
The Krewe of Hercules is always one of the most popular parades in Houma. Featuring new floats, the Houma-based krewe will roll on Friday night through its normal parade route.
